7+ 



D^Qaturall Hijlory ; 



3*9 



33° 



33 1 



33* 



333 



334 



335 



33* 



337 



theBody, there followeth Defi^mon^fyduraimfonfmp^m^Ct 

 As in Brick r evaporation of Bodies Liquid, &c« 



The Means to Enduce and Accelerate Putrefaction, are Firft by Adding 

 fome Crude or Watry Moifiure-, . As in, Wetting of any Flefli, Fruit, Wood, 

 with Water, &c. For contrariwife Unctuous and oily Sub fiances preferve. 



The Second is by Invitation or Excitatio^ks when a Rotten Apple lyeth 

 clofe to another Apple that is found .• Or when Dung ( which is a Subftance 

 already Putrified)is added to other Bodies. And this is alfo notably feen 

 in Church-yards, where they bury much-, Where the Earth will confume the 

 Corps, inhut ftiorter time, than other Earth will. 



The Third is,by Clofenefie, and Stopping,\\hich detained the Spirits ,in Pri- 

 fon,mcxe than they would} And thereby irritateth them to feek Blue As 

 in Corn, and Clothes, which wax Mufty ; and therefore Open Aire, 

 (which they call Aer perfiabilis) doth preferve : And this doth appear more 

 evidently in Agues, which come(moft of them,) of obfiructions, and Penning 

 the Humours ^ which thereupon Putrife: 



The Fourth is,by Solution of Continuity vAs we fee an Apple will rot foo- 

 ner, if it be Cut or Pierce^ And fo will Wood, &c. And fo the Flefh of 

 Creatures alive, where they have received any Wound. 



The Fifthjs,either by the Exhaling, or by the Driving bach pf the Princi- 

 call Spirits, which preferve the Confidence of the Bod% So that when their 

 -Government is dilTolved,every P^f returneth to his Nature, or Homogeny. 

 And this appeareth in #>7#i?> and Bloody when they coole,and thereby -break; 

 It appeareth alfo in the Gangrene, or Mortification otFlefi), either by Opiates, 

 or by Intenfe Colds. I conceive alfo the fame Effect is in Pefiilemes, for that 

 the Malignity of the Infecting Vap our Amnteth tht Princtfall Spirits, ,and ma- 

 ke th them flie, and leave their" Rmment-, And then the Humours, Flefh, and 

 Secondary Spirits, do diffolve, and break, as inan Anarchy. 



The Sixth is, when a Forraine Spirit, Stronger apdmore Eager than the Spi- 

 rit of the Body, entreth the Body As in the Stinging or Serpents. And this 

 is the C^/e(generally) that upon all Poyfons followeth Swelling: And we fee 

 Spelling followeth alfo, when the Spirits of the Body it felf, Congregate too 

 much-, As upon Blows, and Brui[es; or when they are Pent in too much, as in 

 Swelling upon Cold. And we fee alfo, that the Spirits coming of Putrefaction 

 of Humours in Agues, &c. Which may be counted as Forrein Spirits-, though 

 they be bred within the Body, do Extinguifh and Suffocate the Natural/ 

 Spirits, and Heat. 



TheSeventh is, by fuch a Weak Degree ofHeat,asfetteth the Spirits in a lit- 

 tle Motion, but is not able, either to digefi the Parts, or to Ifjue the Spirits-, As is 

 feen in Flefh kept in a Room that is not Coole 5 Whereas in a Coole and 

 Wet Larder it will keep longer. And we fee,that Fivification(wheveo( Pu- 

 trefaction is the Bafiard-Brother,) is effected by fuch Soft Heats ; As the 

 Hatching of Eggs-, The Heat of the Womb, &c. 



The Eighth is,by the Releafing of the Spirits, which before were clofe kept 

 by the Solidnefie of their Coverture, and thereby their Appetite of IlTu- 

 ing checked; As in the Artifciall Rufls induced by ftrong Waters, in Iron, 

 Lead,8cc. And therefore Wetting hafteneth Rufi,oi Putrefaction ofany thing, 

 becaufe it foftneth the Cruft,for the Spirits to come forth. 



The Ninth is, by the Enter change of Heat and Cold, or Wet and Dry; As we 

 fee in the Mouldring of Earth in Frofts, and Sunne And in the more haity 

 Rotting of Wood, that is fometimes wet, fometimes dry. 



The 



